Caught In a Fading Daydream
by FairyTale87
Summary: Elena is returning for her senior year not expecting much. Life though, had other plans in mind. Elena begins to have daydreams of a man with alluring blue eyes who calls her Katherine. These dreams soon begin to feel like memories. But how? AU
1. I

**I**

_Life they say is a series of events stringed together, that we then categorize into "childhood", "teenage years"… you get the idea. This widely accepted viewpoint of what life is has always perplexed me. Something about it just doesn't seem to make sense. God, I sound like some lunatic trying to find the meaning of life; even though a perfectly logical hypothesis has already been established. But, call me crazy, I suppose, because here I am searching. What gets to me, I think, is that how could life work out so logically, if it's comprised of a random series of events? It just seems to me that there is more to it. Life shouldn't be that easy, or arguably, that hard, to define. Was it really just pure randomness that landed me here in Mystic Falls, Virginia? Randomness who decided my parents were to die? The simple answer most people would give is yes. Another handful might say it was God's doing. But, a small minority may possibly give the refreshing response of 'No, it wasn't just random. There is a reason for why it all happened.' Well, my question is what is the reason? If not chance and not God, then what? I suppose I'm chasing myself around in circles trying to figure this all out. I guess I'm just not the type of person who can just accept life as being completely free. I am a person of structure. I thrive in my own imagination, but when I do decide to grace the real world with my presence, I don't want my life there to be a series of unpredictable events that I cannot explain, understand, or ultimately, deal with. I guess you could call me a pragmatic imaginer. But one thing that is certain, if not anything else in this world is that I've changed. Ever since my parents passed away, I haven't been Elena Gilbert. I've been some weird clone. The only way I can describe the feeling is like this: __the path that I have chosen has led me to a wall, and with each passing day I feel a little more like something dear was lost. It now rises before me, a dark and silent barrier between all I am, and all I would ever want to be. _

"Hey, Elena," Aunt Jenna called, "we have to go soon! You don't want to miss the first day of your senior year, do you?" Elena rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh and shut her journal. To be honest, Elena could care less about high school or her precious senior year. All that presented itself in the monotonous hallways of school was a sea of sexually tensioned teens, which obsessed over makeup or muscles, and did all they could to rise to the top of their pathetic illusion of a social food chain. She wasn't always so cynical. Just last year Elena had been exactly like every other girl at Mystic Falls High School. A stereotypical shallow drama queen whose life was revolved around how much power she could gain in the social realm.

"I'm coming, Jenna," Elena finally replied to her aunt. Her voice rose just enough for the sound to travel downstairs to the kitchen. Turning to her dresser mirror, Elena examined herself. Her hair had gotten longer, reaching now a little below her shoulder blades. Her perfectly placed highlights now lay in a scrambled ruin on her head. Elena couldn't even remember the last time she had gotten her layers redone; and being the ex-beauty obsesser that she was, she could pinpoint a tragic amount of split ends making a home at the bottom of her dark chocolate locks. Running a set of fingers with long forgotten fingernails through her tresses, she attempted halfheartedly to revive her flat hair into at least a small reminder of the grand perfection it had once been. She had succeeding only in making her hair lift slightly with static electricity. Abandoning her disheveled hair, she examined her face. Though no pimples made an agonizing appearance, her skin was slightly discolored. Her once majestic olive skin now sagged against her bones in a color that could slightly resemble gray. Rubbing her hands over her face, she turned away from the mirror. It was too depressing of a vision to stare at for too long Glancing down at a strand of hair she had been playing with during her examination, a look of disgust appeared on her tired face. Slipping a lone ponytail holder from her wrist, she quickly fixed her hair into a loose bun. Grabbing her backpack from the chair beside her, she hurried out of the room and down the stairs. As she neared the kitchen, the smell of burnt waffles filled her nostrils. Shaking her head lightly with a small roll of the eyes, she entered the kitchen.

"Hey girlie," Jenna said mildly, "you ready for today?" As she looked at Elena, the teenager could see the faint worried empathy hidden in her caramel eyes.

"Yeah," Elena said weakly, "I guess I have to be." She provided her aunt with a short shrug of the shoulders and the ghost of a smile.

"Honey," the elder replied with a sigh, "everything will be alright. Now, let me get a look at my beautiful niece." Jenna put a smile on her face, and gestured with her finger for Elena to turn in a circle for her. Jenna always told Elena that she needed the '360 degree view'. Elena hung her shoulders faintly, but obeyed her aunt. The black T-shirt she wore clung tightly to her body accentuating her curves, and the dark jeans hit perfectly at her waist line, and descended down her flawlessly designed legs, until they hit her black Converse. Though the outfit, in any sane person's mind, would have been considered as perfect for her, anyone who actually knew Elena would know otherwise. When Elena was thirteen, she had vowed never to wear black; period. She had considered the color wretched; a color that had no other purpose but to make the world darker. Elena rather, surrounded herself with the prettiest of pinks, and purples, blues, and greens. In her junior year, one guy even voted for her for Spring Fling Queen just because he had never seen her in any color that did not somehow bring on the memory of the spring season.

"Aw, Elena," Jenna cooed, "you look wonderful." Elena had to give her aunt kudos for smartly resisting the comment regarding her niece's color choice that Elena could sense on her aunt's tongue.

"Thanks, Aunt Jenna," Elena replied quietly. "Hey, um, where is Jeremy?"

"I haven't waked him up yet," Jenna replied simply.

"Why not? We need to get to school in like fifteen minutes." Elena squinted her eyes faintly at her aunt.

"I know that, Elena. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute alone." Her aunt gave an apologetic smile. Leave it to Jenna to slyly lure Elena in for an 'alone' conversation.

"I just want to make sure that you really are okay with going back to school," Jenna continued when her niece provided no response. "I mean life has been hard recently, and I don't want you to have even more on your shoulders."

"Aunt Jenna, don't worry about me. Maybe," she sighed, "maybe this is a good thing. Going back, I mean." Elena plastered the best smile she could muster onto her lips. In the recent months, she had gotten very talented at the art of lying about her feelings. If Elena was to be honest, no, she was not okay with going back to school. That building held so many memories of her life before the accident, and she wasn't quite sure she was ready to relive them just yet. That truth, though, she would never admit to Jenna.

"That's the way to be, Elena. Positivity is good in a situation like this," Jenna said with warm eyes and a supporting smile.

"Yeah," Elena said wispily. "You know, you should probably get Jeremy up."

"You're right. I'll be back. And hey," she said pointing at the burnt waffles, "eat up. You'll need all your strength today." With one last smile, she disappeared from the room. When Elena could hear the creaking of the stairs, she dropped her elbows onto the table, and hung her head in her hands. The tense and threatening feeling of tears hit her chest and stomach, but she knew no tears would ever come. The initial shock and mourning of her parent's death was over. Now came the stage of knowing that tears would do nothing to bring them back. So, she was left with the haunting memory of her parent's demise. Moving her head so her chin was resting on her hands, she stared at the waffles. Why Elena's eyes had wandered there she didn't know. She stared at the fluffy substance until it somehow morphed into looking appealing enough to eat. Breaking her eye contact with the waffles, she dragged herself over to the cupboard for a plate and a fork. Sitting back in her chair with a thud and placing the plate down on the wooden table heavily, she stabbed at a waffle with her fork, and let it drop onto her plate. She again stared at the substance momentarily before breaking a piece off with her forefinger and thumb, and popped it into her mouth.

"No syrup?" Jenna said from behind her.

"Uh," Elena replied with a minor vibe of shock in her voice, "I'm not in a sugary mood."

"Yeah, you and me both." Jenna placed her hand on the table and leaned into it, crossing her ankles.

"So did you manage to wake the sleeping beast?" Elena raised her eyebrow amused.

"Yeah," she said lightly, "it took a little while, though. After some dragging, and pulling, and the eventual threat of cold water being thrown on him, he got up. Geez, that boy is one stubborn kid when it comes to his sleep." Jenna shook her head in amazement as a small smile stretched on her face.

"Yeah, well, that's Jer for you." A small sense of pain could be detected in her voice. This conversation was all too familiar. She could remember her and her mother on the first day of freshman year talking about Jeremy's stubbornness while eating waffles. Elena's mother had used it as a sly tactic to get her daughter's mind off of the looming fear of freshman year. They had laughed and joked, and life had been great. Now, three years later, it could be considered farfetched to even consider Elena's life as fine.

"I suppose so," Jenna replied mildly. The thudding of heavy feet on wooden steps could be heard moments later, and both Jenna and Elena knew that Jeremy had left his cave that he called a room.

"It's too early," the younger teen complained groggily as he entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, Jeremy meet morning, and morning, say hello to your long lost pal Jeremy," Elena retorted sarcastically.

"Funny," Jeremy deadpanned as he stared at his sister flatly.

"Well," Jenna intervened before Elena could reply, "Why don't you have some breakfast, Jer?"

"Not hungry," Jeremy replied distantly. The comment seemed to make Jenna uncomfortable, because she moved her free arm and wrapped the hand around the upper part of the arm that supported her on the table.

"Okay, then. Uh, we should probably head out, huh?" Jenna gave Elena a pleading look, begging her to agree. Elena had to feel bad for her poor aunt. Having to become a parental figure to two teens that just lost their parents is definitely not classified as an easy job.

"Yeah, she's right," Elena agreed, subconsciously biting her bottom lip. There was no escaping it now. In a matter of minutes, she would be shoved into the puzzle of school, with a piece that no longer fit into the picture perfectly.

"Great," Jenna said tightly, clapping her hands together. Elena gave a nod with a tight smile, while Jeremy kept his focus on his combat boots. Jenna began to walk to the door, picking up the keys from the coffee table located in the hallway as she went. The Gilbert siblings followed numbly. When Jenna's hand clasped around the doorknob, Elena felt her chest clench. Opening that door would be the transporter into the real world; a world which Elena despised greatly. Life showed no mercy on her, and the door was opened. The rising sun was blinding as the three trudged to the Toyota, and Elena already prayed for this day to be over. Jeremy and Elena slipped into the backseats as Jenna climbed into the driver's side. The car started with a groan and Elena sighed, leaning her forehead on the window. As the speeding scenery of the sleepy town of Mystic Falls passed by, the teenage girl felt a sense of loneliness overtake her. Unfortunately for Elena, her house was not far from the school. By car it would take eight minutes tops. This left little time for Elena to lick her still mending wounds before being thrown into the tub of salt so commonly known as daily life.

"Alright guys," Jenna said as they pulled into the school entrance, "have a great day. I'll see you at three. Oh, but call me if your plans change, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Jeremy and Elena both mumbled and then proceeded to drag themselves out of the car. Jeremy didn't even say goodbye before stepping past his sister and heading into the school. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Elena stared at Jeremy's retreating from and the school in front of her. It felt like a jail. Not a jail that held her prisoner, but one that held her prisoner in her past. Biting her lip and fidgeting with her hands, she began to shuffle into the masses of students trying to get through the main entrance before the late bell rang. Elena felt lost. Elena Gilbert. Lost? That was almost as unheard of as puppies being called ugly. Elena, the social butterfly, the beauty queen who could always count on having a date for a dance or Friday night party, was lost in her own kingdom. Though nothing had changed with the castle or its subjects, she still felt like she was intruding. At the thought of this, she tightened her grip on her backpack strap.

"Elena!" A voice called behind her. Elena stopped in her tracks, earning herself a few glares from people around her, and she turned around. Standing before her was Bonnie Bennett. Her black hair fell in perfect soft locks, ending at the shoulders. Her green shirt brought out the warmth of her skin as her khaki pants hit at the knee, accentuating her legs. Her white Keds fit adorably on her petite feet, and Elena couldn't help but feel envious of her friend. She seemed so innocent, so untouched, and so happy.

"Hi, Bonnie," Elena said with as much as enthusiasm as she could. She would have attempted a smile as well, but Elena knew her friend would catch on to her faking if she did.

"So how have you been, sweetie?" Bonnie questioned sympathetically. "I haven't seen for like what, a month?"

"Yeah," Elena said weakly, "it's really been that long. Bon, I'm sorry I've been so distant, it's just-"

"Elena," Bonnie interrupted softly, "you don't have to explain it to me. I get it. It's a hard time for you." Bonnie displayed a supporting smile for Elena.

"Thanks Bonnie," Elena said, as a genuine smile crossed her features. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had actually smiled without forcing herself to. Fighting back threatening tears, she embraced her friend. The warmth of Bonnie's body encircled Elena, and she felt safe and befriended. For the first time in months the agonizing tension in her stomach subsided, and momentarily she felt free from all of life's pains. It was in this moment that she realized just how much she had missed her best friend.

"Shh," Bonnie whispered to her quietly, "it's okay." Removing her arms from Elena's shaking body, Bonnie added, "How about I walk you to your homeroom." A kind smile trickled onto her lips.

"Bon," Elena said, "your homeroom is on a totally other floor though. If you walk me to mine, you'd be late." She gave Bonnie a nervous look. Though she appreciated her friend's gesture, she didn't want to be the reason why Bonnie was late on the first day of school.

"I'll risk it for you, Elena. And besides, it would give us some time to catch up!" Bonnie wasted no time in letting Elena oppose to her suggestion and grabbed her by the forearm and lead her down the all too familiar hallway.

"So, what's been up with you? What's new?" Bonnie gave Elena an encouraging smile, begging her to at least try to be social.

"Well, uh, I've done a lot of writing recently," Elena said weakly. In all honesty, though so much had happened to her, there seemed to be absolutely new to report. Before the death of her parents, Elena would have enough new things happening in her life to talk for over an hour. But now, Elena had barely enough to actually make a sentence. It gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. The old Elena Gilbert was dead; in every way possible. The only thing that could connect the new and old Elena was the fact that they looked alike and were technically the same person.

"Oh," Bonnie said, attempting to keep the boredom out of her voice, "writing is cool. What have you been writing?" Again, Elena found herself at a total loss for words for answering her friend's question.

"Pretty boring stuff. Nothing worth remembering, nothing worth forgetting. Just stuff." Elena gave a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, it's still cool," Bonnie said. When Bonnie realized that they were only a few steps away from Elena's homeroom, she stopped Elena by stepping in front of her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," Elena said softly when she realized she was outside of her homeroom.

"Yeah," Bonnie said with a sad smile. "But, me and Caroline and Matt are going to the Grill after school. You should totally consider coming. It'll be fun." Bonnie's sad smile then morphed into a warm grin.

"Yeah," Elena said hesitantly, "sounds like fun." She then returned Bonnie's grin with a tight smile.

"So, does that mean I'll see you there? We could walk there together." Bonnie stared at Elena, silently begging her to say yes.

"Yeah, I'll go," Elena gave in. The last thing Elena wanted to do today was to go to the Grill with her friends. Though she loved them all, she had changed; they probably hadn't. The looming fear of being an outcast in her own set of friends became apparent, but she tried her best to lull the feeling.

"Great!" Bonnie squealed. "I'll see you then! I'll meet you at your locker after school." With one last smile, Bonnie turned away and started down the hallway, destined for the stairs at the other end.

"Okay," came Elena's delayed and quiet reply. Sighing, she grasped her backpack strap tightly, and walked over the threshold and into homeroom. The other members of the room were already in their seats doing various activities. Some texting, some plugged into their iPods, and some mindlessly tapping at their desks. As people slowly began to be aware of Elena's existence, they stared at her. It was a stare that quietly said 'I really want to know what happened with your parents, but have been advised not to mention anything, so I'm just going to stare.' Elena averted her gaze to the floor, and didn't dare pick up her head until she reached a vacant desk that was virtually isolated. A moment or so later, the late bell rang, and Elena hoped Bonnie had made it in time.

"Alright guys, everyone in a seat until the announcements are over," Mr. Jackson, the homeroom teacher, said. Two girls to the right of Elena continued their conversation as if the teacher hadn't even opened his mouth.

"And no talking," Mr. Jackson warned as he eyed the two girls. Their high pitched giggles ceased, and no one dare spoke until the monotone students were done reading the announcements over the loudspeaker.

"Have a great day, students, faculty, and staff," the end speaker said, and a moment later the bell rang. People couldn't get out of Mr. Jackson's room fast enough. When Elena stepped back into the hallway, she was swallowed by a mob of people going this way and that. Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she made her way to first period. As she trudged along, she stared vacantly down at the ground, never minding the world around her. Soon after, before she even knew what hit her, she found herself colliding with someone.

"Oh god," she muttered, "I'm so sorry." Moving her glance from the floor to the victim, she was met with a strikingly perfect boy. His hair was a soft brown color perfectly styled. It matched perfectly with his milk chocolate eyes. He looked so warm because of his sun kissed skin, and Elena couldn't help but stare.

"I- I'm Elena," she said shyly.

"Stefan," the boy smiled, reaching out a hand to her. Elena took it in hers, and shook it.

"Are you new here?" Elena asked, tilting her head to the side. She was sure that if this boy had ever been in this school before, she would've noticed. Especially since in the past, Elena had known everyone in the school, and everyone was certainly aware of her existence.

"Yeah, I just moved here a week ago." He gave a small smile.

"Well, allow me to be the first to welcome you. Now, I hate to be rude, but I have to get to class." Elena pointed apologetically in front of her, gesturing that her class was that way.

"Well, I won't keep you. It was nice to meet you, Elena," Stefan replied before walking past her. As she watched him go, she couldn't help but realize that he had said her name strangely. He said it as if he wished it was another name. Shaking the thought away, though, she walked on to her first period Advanced Placement European History.

As her APEH teacher Mr. Kramer droned on about the French Revolution, Elena found herself daydreaming. Not of the warm Stefan, but of another. Someone she didn't know, but somehow felt that she did. His piercing blue eyes stared at her through a haze of fog, and she could identify his jet black hair outlined beautifully through the fog.

"_Katherine,"_ she could hear the man whisper. It was almost like a lullaby. A velvety lullaby could probably have the power to hush an angry mob. But the question was who was Katherine?

* * *

Alright, so this is my new story idea. I'm not sure exactly where I'm taking this, **but I'm willing to keep writing it if you're willing to follow** me on this journey. To those of you who read this who also read **Unholiest of Tortures, I will be updating that soon!** It's just that I've had no good ideas for it recently, and don't want to post anything until I do. Also, I'm wanting to write some Delena one-shots, but don't have any inspiration**. So, if you have a quote or song or something, tell me about, because I'd be happy to take a stab at writing something! **Oh, and PLEASE tell me what you think of this story so far! I want to know your thoughts!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	2. II

**II**

_Those blue eyes were magnificent. They were alluring sapphire orbs that could penetrate the surface and peer right into my soul. How could someone I don't even know, and who may not even exist, have that much of an effect on me? It's insane. But I feel like I know him. Well, knew him, I suppose. This is the first time I've ever daydreamed of this man, yet it feels like I've never stopped. Is it possible for that to happen? To randomly daydream of someone, and all of a sudden, you feel as if you know them? Or had known them? Because I know I've never seen him before, but I wouldn't just feel this way about anyone, so I must have known him at one point. Oh god, I don't know. This is crazy! I should let it go. But I can't. My mind keeps replaying the scene of those blue eyes hidden by fog and the velvety lullaby of "Katherine". His voice echoes in my head, and dances and swirls tauntingly, urging my memory to remember how the hell I know this man. I must say though, that this crazy daydreaming has been a pleasant distraction from thoughts of my parents…_

"Ms. Gilbert," Mr. Kramer said accusingly, "what are you doing?" He crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow at the senior.

"Wait, what?" Elena replied, bringing her head up. She darted her eyes around the room, until she found Mr. Kramer's condemning stare.

The APEH teacher sighed deeply before replying: "I know it's difficult getting back into the swing of school, especially on the first day, but that is no excuse for not paying attention. Elena, this is an advanced placement class. There is no room for slacking." The man's brown eyes showed no mercy on Elena.

"I was paying attention," Elena replied weakly, knowing well that she was lying. She closed her journal and pushed it to the side, before dragging her thumb nail down her pencil. Elena did not do well under pressure filled situations like this. She could feel the eyes of the other students burning through her; analyzing her, and breaking her down bit by bit. Elena couldn't even begin to imagine what they must think of her in this instant.

"You were, were you?" Mr. Kramer drawled, "Then who was it that ordered St. Bartholomew's Massacre in 1572?" Elena, in this moment, decided that she dreaded her AP European History teacher. His beady little eyes and pot belly were already getting on her nerves. She wished she could just tear out his wispy snow white hair from his balding head, and silence his nasally monotone voice. As she thought such thoughts, she was shocked at how gruesome she was being. Never in her life had she ever actually put thought into the destruction of teachers. Sure, Elena had always had the teachers she hated or were annoyed by, but she had never imagined the things she had just been. It was disturbing to her.

"Uh, who ordered the massacre?" Elena responded slowly. Hell if she knew the answer to it. Elena racked her brain trying to remember what her teacher had been lecturing on, but no recollection came. Grinding her nail harder on her pencil, a name suddenly came to mind. It came to her like an old memory that had somehow been triggered by a word or phrase. The context or scene in which the name had been in, she didn't remember. It seemed too long ago to even count back how many years. How this name had even come to mind she did not know. All Elena did know was that she was going to use it. "Catherine Medici," Elena finally said to her teacher. The way the name came out of her mouth was bitter. Elena said it as if she had known the woman personally. Watching the man's eyes widen with apparent surprise, she knew she was right with her answer. How though? She hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention during class.

"Very good, Ms. Gilbert," Mr. Kramer replied with a pleased nod. The accusing flare that had been in his eyes subsided and he returned to his lecture on how the French Revolution had come about. Although Elena had always considered herself a major history geek, she couldn't help but feel bitter about the fact that her teacher was already beginning instruction on the first day of school. As Mr. Kramer spoke Elena zoned out and stared at his small pursed lips, numbly hoping they would stop their rapid movement soon. Luck seemed to be on Elena's side in that instant, because there was a knock on the door.

"Excuse me," Mr. Kramer told the class, before he walked to the door. When he opened the wooden entrance, it revealed a girl. She was certainly perfect. Her russet hair fell in perfect curls to the tip of her voluptuous breasts and her bangs swooped flawlessly to the right, brushing against her impeccably plucked eyebrows. The girl's eyes were a warm caramel and contrasted wonderfully with her pastel skin. Her body could have easily been chiseled by angles, and the black sun dress she wore to her knees accentuated her body and complimented every curve. The girl seemed to stand at a petite height of about 5'4", but the wedges she wore supplied her with an extra inch or two. If this had been last year, Elena would've hated her. She was obviously gorgeous; therefore, she would become competition. But since Elena no longer cared about being queen of the school, she was quite intrigued by the girl. Trying to look past the girl's apparent beauty, Elena wondered what she might be like. Was she a sweet quiet girl that Elena could swiftly become friends with? Or was she the type of girl Elena had been before her parent's car accident: cold and untouchable to anyone that did not have a high position in the social ranks? As Elena examined the girl in the doorway, she hoped she was the sweet kind, but had a horrible gut feeling that she was of the bitchy breed.

"Hi," the girl said in a soft but seductive voice, "I'm Marina Migleoretti. I'm new here, so it took me a while to find this room. Sorry." Marina gave Mr. Kramer a charming smile with the subtle intention of that getting her off the hook for being late. It seemed to do the trick, because Mr. Kramer smiled back.

"Oh, there is nothing to be sorry for. It's your first day here. You're bound to get lost now and then. Come on in," the teacher replied, and stepped out of the way so Marina could walk through the threshold. As Elena analyzed this exchange, it was proof enough that she had been right about Marina. Using her powers of beauty for evil was one of the many annoying traits of the bitchy breed.

"Class," Mr. Kramer addressed in his nasally voice, "this is Marina Migleoretti. She just moved here from…" he turned to Marina, implying that he wanted her to fill in the blank.

"Georgia," Marina replied sweetly, and scanned over the room. Her eyes seemed almost bored as she examined her fellow classmates. When her caramel orbs fell on Elena though, a sudden burst of interest exploded in her eyes. Elena could see the caramel eyes grow slightly larger with, shock was it? Marina stared at her as if she was seeing a ghost. Her stare was making Elena very uncomfortable. She felt like she was some horrid virus being scrutinized under a microscope. Why was Marina even looking at her in that way? Elena had done nothing to her; she had simply sat there and watched the exchange between Marina and Mr. Kramer. Last time Elena checked, there was nothing wrong or astonishing or stare worthy in that.

"Ms. Migleoretti, why don't you have a seat right over there?" Mr. Kramer directed, pointing to the empty seat next to Elena. At this, Elena's chest tightened and a feeling of nausea formed at the pit of her stomach. She had no desire for Marina to sit anywhere near her. And it was obvious by the expression on Marina's face that she too wanted nothing to do with Elena. But alas, Marina nodded sweetly and made her way gracefully over to Elena. Unlike Marina, Elena couldn't put the fake smile onto her face, so she looked out the window, rationalizing that that would be the smarter choice; rather than trying to hold back a glare. When she heard the dropping of a backpack and the eventual form sitting down next to her, Elena turned to Marina. She decided there was no use in ignoring the girl since they were seat partners.

"Hi," Elena began somewhat flatly, "I'm Elena." She decided she might as well put on at least the hint of a smile on her face, and tried her best to not let it morph into a sneer.

"It-it's a pleasure to meet you, um, Elena," Marina returned quietly. The girl actually seemed scared of Elena. A tiny smidge of a tremble was audible in her voice, and she couldn't seem to keep eye contact with Elena for too long. The way Marina was acting was like a slave speaking to its master; or a maid speaking to an angry employer. Not to mention the way she had said her name; that too was quite strange. Marina had said it much like the new kid Stefan had. They both had said it as if they were shocked it was not another name. Elena had no idea what she had done to bring on this apparent fear in Marina, but she indeed had. As she looked at Marina in this instant, the girl seemed like a totally different person than the confident one that had been standing in the front of the room only moments ago.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too," Elena replied, this time with a little more courteously, to hide her massive curiosity. Elena examined Marina for the rest of the class period, and could not shake the lingering thought that she knew the girl. She certainly seemed familiar, but from where? Marina had said she moved to Mystic Falls from Georgia, so it couldn't be from a nearby town. So now, Elena had two people who she somehow thought knew. When she thought about it, Stefan could also fit into the category. There was something vaguely familiar about his eyes. Between the three people she somehow remembered, it could be safe to say she was driving her brain crazy. As she continued to think about these mystery people, the bell rang. Elena let out a heavy breath of relief, and sprang from her chair as quickly as she could. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she squeezed past Marina who was still packing up. Elena's right leg got past Marina's chair, but her left leg was stopped when Marina caught Elena by the wrist. Her grip on Elena was strong. As she looked down in shock at her wrist, she could see the skin turning white around where Marina's grip was.

"Katherine?" Marina whispered to her, with a heavy dose of hopefulness in her tone. She said it as if it was a secret; a secret that Elena should somehow understand or know. As Marina gazed up at Elena, her caramel orbs peered into hers. Elena felt her words being caught in her throat. Marina called her Katherine; just like the mysterious blue eyed man had in her daydream. This was no coincidence. Or, Elena was simply crazy, and was imagining this whole thing.

"Uh," she finally choked out, "no I'm not. But who is Katherine?" Elena tilted her head to the side, and waited impatiently for Marina's reply. She needed to know. Elena had no idea why her subconscious had formulated that daydream with the name Katherine being involved, and she didn't have the slightest clue why Marina had just called her it. But if she was to get answers from anyone, her best bet was Marina Migleoretti.

"We- well, uh, it's- it's nothing. I um, I just- you reminded me of someone." Marina looked away from Elena, and focused her attention on zipping up her backpack. As Elena stared at her, she could see Marina's hands shaking horribly. From what? Embarrassment? Disappointment? Or possibly even fear? It was quite puzzling to Elena.

"No," Elena replied somewhat curtly, "it's not nothing. You deliberately called me Katherine. What I want to know is why." She stared at Marina with such force, that she thought Marina might actually shrink into nothing. Though she felt bad for her harshness towards a girl she didn't even know, the remorse wasn't that great. Elena wanted an answer; Marina wasn't providing it. So harshly toned words seemed appropriate. This train of thought was again, definitely different from the usual Elena Gilbert. She had always prided herself in being a kind and gentle soul, and here she was interrogating someone as if they were a serious enemy; or friend who had gone very wrong.

"Y-you sound just like her," Marina whispered in awe.

"Sound like who?" Elena bit out in irritation. This was getting ridiculous. Elena craved answers like someone who hasn't eaten for days would crave food. She didn't want jumbled muttering from Marina. Elena wanted an answer.

Marina sighed. "No, it's not possible for you to be her; she's dead." The girl seemed to be talking to herself. As she muttered, she scrunched her eyebrows closer and closer together, until there was a much defined crease in between them.

"My god! Just tell me who you're talking about." Elena began to twist her hands together roughly in aggravation. Marina Migleoretti was certainly not an easy person to get information out of.

"Uh, seriously, it's nothing. Hey, um, I'm going to be late for class. Sorry." With that, Marina got out of her chair, putting her backpack on her shoulders as she went, and scurried out of the room at lightning speed. After watching Marina's retreating form for an aggravating second, Elena too walked angrily to the door. Before walking out though, she glanced at Mr. Kramer expecting him to be glaring at her for being so rude to Marina. But the AP Euro History teacher was typing away frantically at an email, muttering what he had written, to himself. Elena relaxed her tense features at the sight, and then continued out the door. The rest of this day was sure to be filled with the lingering curiosity from hell.

* * *

Elena trudged numbly out of eighth period, wishing this day could finally end. But sadly, it was far from over. She had promised Bonnie that she would go to the Grill with her, Matt, and Caroline, and so she would. It wasn't like her day could get any worse. Elena still couldn't get the name Katherine out of her head, or Marina's cryptic behavior; and the blue eyes of that mysterious man still burned in the back of her mind. So maybe numbing herself even more with the dull conversations she would have to endure with Caroline and Bonnie wouldn't actually be so bad. She let out a heavy sigh and made her way to her locker. She could see Bonnie already eagerly standing next to it, with such an innocent childish twinkle in her eye, that Elena felt extremely envious of her friend.

"Hey Bonnie," Elena said as she approached Bonnie and her locker. She gave a small smile, and tried to push all thoughts of this morning out of her head.

"Hi there! So, are you ready?" Bonnie smiled back brilliantly at Elena, and already began to move towards the exit.

"Yeah," Elena chuckled, "I'm ready." She followed closely behind her friend as they made their way to the main doors.

"Oh my god, this is going to be so fun. The whole group is finally going to be back together!" As Elena saw the pure joy and excitement dance on Bonnie's face, Elena felt as if a heavy weight was being chained to her heart, and dragging it down into the abyss. It had been months since her parents' death, yet she hadn't found more than a minute or so to think much less talk, to her friends. Elena had fully enveloped herself in her own self pity that she had disregarded the rest of the world; thinking of it only as a horrid nuisance which had decided to take her parents away from her. Elena's parents though, wouldn't want her to be unhappy and hate the world. If they could speak to her, they would tell her to hold her head up high. They would say they may have lost the battle of life, but they most certainly hadn't lost the war of being alive in spirit. With a sigh, Elena put a gleaming smile on her face, and straightened her sulking posture.

"Yeah," Elena then replied with eagerness, "I can't wait to see Care again. I've missed her so much. And seeing Matt again, will be- it'll be interesting." She widened her smile, and gave a small laugh. It felt good to Elena to be an innocent teenager again with no burden weighing down on her shoulders. Today, Elena decided, she would not drone over her parents' death, or linger on the name Katherine and what it might mean to her. Today, Elena was free from all mental barricades.

"Matt and Elena," Bonnie cooed in remembrance, "you two were so cute together! Oh, but um, don't tell Caroline I said that. She has a pretty big crush on Matt." Bonnie gave a smirk that indicated she was in a very gossiping mood. Elena shook her head jokingly at her friend.

"Oh my god," Elena replied with a small squeal as she and Bonnie walked down the street, "since when! I always thought she liked Tyler. So let me get this straight. She's moved on from Tyler; Tyler, who she's like since like the first grade, and now has a crush on Matt? I thought she hated him!"

"Yeah, well, as of like a month ago, Matt's been her new obsession. She claims she likes the 'mysterious' type boys." Bonnie gave a laugh, lightly taunting Caroline's logic. All Elena could do was stare at Bonnie after she had said that about Caroline. Was Caroline completely blind? There was nothing mysterious about Matt. In all honesty, there was basically nothing running through that boy's head. And on the rare and shocking occasion that there was actual evidence of brainpower, it was either revolved around sports, a rival team, or getting laid. Matt Donovan was served on a silver platter. Every little bit of his personality was there. Nothing was left up to interpretation or curiosity. So how Caroline saw anything mysterious was beyond Elena.

"Okay," Elena replied, "that's completely ridiculous. Like there's nothing wrong in liking Matt, I mean he's a great guy. But I think she might be liking him for the wrong reasons. There is nothing mystifying about Matt. Even Caroline would, or does, know that. Do you think she's forcing herself to like Matt because Tyler still isn't showing any interest in her? Maybe she thinks Matt will be easier to get." It was shocking to Elena how this conversation was coming so naturally to her. It felt as if her parents were still alive, and she was having a normal get together with friends, where gossip was the main source of entertainment. Elena didn't know how long this high would last, but she was going to take advantage of it.

"Oh god, Elena, there you go again having to analyze everything." Bonnie gave a laugh. "But yeah, I think you're right. Care probably is going for Matt since Tyler pretty much dissed her. Oh, but now it's my turn to over analyze. Are you really that worried about Caroline, or do you just not want her to actually get Matt? Oh my god, do you still like him, Elena?" Bonnie stopped in her tracks, and put her hand over her mouth as her brown eyes widened.

"No, of course not, Bonnie! I broke up with him; why would I still like him?" Was Bonnie being serious? She knew very well that Elena was over Matt Donovan. She had been even before they had broken up.

"Yeah, okay," Bonnie agreed softly, "I was just making sure. Sometimes really huge events like um, like your parents' death, make you resort back to what you know best. And relationship wise, that's Matt." Bonnie gave an apologetic shrug, and then began to walk again. The two girls were now only about two blocks from the Grill.

"That may be," Elena replied somewhat coldly as she sped up to catch her friend, "but that doesn't mean I'd go back to Matt. In fact, if I had gotten back with Matt, it would've reminded me of life before my parents died too much." Elena turned away from her friend, wrapping her arms around her torso. Every time someone brought something up about her parents, Elena got very cold and defensive. Sure, that was expected, but today it was even worse. She had gotten so close to have her first truly happy afternoon in months, and then Bonnie had to go remind her that she is parentless. Sometimes Bonnie could be too bold.

Bonnie sighed: "I'm sorry, Elena. That was the wrong thing to say. I should've never even brought that up. Hey, let's just go into the Grill and forget this ever happened, hm?" As Bonnie spoke sweetly, the two girls found themselves in front of the only decent hangout place in town.

'Yes, agreed," Elena replied softly with a small smile. Bonnie nodded in return, and the girls made their way up the stairs and into the Grill. As they walked through the doors, memories came rushing back to Elena like a ton of bricks. She could remember countless times when she had been here with an array of people playing pool, or drinking beers with the sexy bartender, or simply gossiping over an early dinner with Bonnie and Caroline.

The longing for those memories to be relived pounded against her like a boxer slugging his opponent in the gut. Just as those cherished recollections began running through her head, they distortedly changed. No longer was she thinking about a twenty first century Grill, but rather one that looked as if it was from the Victorian era. Men in stiff suits and hair styled with long sideburns scattered themselves about the room, drinking whisky and gin, with some of them lighting up a cigar. Women clumped themselves into groups around tables, entertaining themselves with petty gossip and tight laughter. Suddenly something caught Elena's eye. In the far end of the Grill, by the bar, stood a couple. The woman wore an extravagant emerald dress with brunette curls that fell to the small of her back. The woman reminded Elena eerily of herself. The man, who had the girl's arm linked with his, wore a black suit and had raven colored hair which swooped a smidge to the right. What caught Elena's attention though, were his eyes. They were the steel cobalt which she remembered from her other daydream. Elena could never forget those eyes; she knew this man and the one from her earlier dream were the same.

"_I love you, Katherine,"_ Elena could hear the man's velvety voice whisper. Elena felt her heart flutter. He had just called the woman Katherine. That must be the person Marina Migleoretti had been referring to. But how had Marina known about Katherine? If Elena's daydream was correct, this should be around the 1860s. Marina certainly couldn't have been alive around then.

"_I love you too, Damon,"_ Katherine then whispered back. As the woman spoke, Elena was in shock. Katherine sounded just like her. And as Elena looked at the girl closer, she realized they looked almost identical. Elena then returned her attention to Damon's alluring features. Damon, Elena thought; that was his name. That was the name of the puzzling man with piercing blue eyes who had hid behind the fog.

"Elena!" She heard Bonnie call to her, and felt an elbow hit her upper arm. Breaking out of her daydream, she turned to Bonnie.

"Uh, yeah?" She replied slowly.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie gave her friend a concerned look, and bit her lip slightly.

"Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine. Let's go meet Caroline and Matt." Elena gave a toothless and tight smile, and walked over to the booth where she spotted her two friends. Bonnie looked at Elena strangely, but said nothing, and followed her friend.

"Hey, Caroline! Hi Matt," Elena greeted as she sat down opposite the two. Elena leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms and legs. It was all she could do to not shake. Her daydream of Katherine and Damon had revealed so much to her. Well, at least she thought it did. This whole entire situation could've easily just been formulated in her imagination. As Elena pondered the relevance and how much of her daydream had been reality, Bonnie slid in next to her.

"Hi, Elena. Sweetie, how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever." Caroline gave Elena a kind smile and propped her elbows up on the table. Just as Elena was about to reply, she noticed someone walking behind Caroline. She tilted her head to the side so she could eye the man better. He had jet black hair, icy skin, and alluring sapphire eyes. When it finally hit her who it was, or may be, her heart seemed to stop, and she breathed in a sharp breath. Walking by her was Damon.

* * *

Okay, so that's chapter two. I want to thank all of you who took the time to read and review the first chapter. I hope you review it again, and continue to enjoy it! To those of you who read and did not review, I would really appreciate it if you did this time! Having only a few reviews to go by for a story is difficult. I really want to know what my readers think of this story, so I can improve, and I can't do that if you don't review! Oh, and I apologize if this chapter is all over the place. I've been writing it sporadically for days. Hopefully you still enjoyed, though!

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	3. III

**III**

Elena's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the mysterious Damon. Her heart fluttered crazed and confused, wanting no more than to spring out of her seat and embrace him. As she stared at Damon, she felt a tendril begin to slither its way around her heart, strangling all peace from it. Elena felt as if she had not seen Damon for years, and she was dying just to get him to catch her gaze. Damon turned his head, and spotted her. Elena sucked in a breath and wouldn't let it out; she was frozen. Those piercing sapphire eyes were staring into hers, and Elena noticed a hint of shock in them. He stood stagnant for a moment, as if to make sure he was seeing correctly, but then quickly turned out on his heel, and out of Elena's sight. Finally letting the breath she had been holding out, she felt dead inside; deader than she had, and that was truly saying something. Elena wanted desperately to follow him; talk to him; just admire him for eternity. But, reality hit her, and she knew she couldn't.

"Elena," Caroline prompted. Elena sharply turned her head towards Caroline, realizing that she had spaced out.

"Um, yeah?"

"You never answered me," Caroline replied, a whiney tone finding its way into her voice. Elena inwardly sighed; she didn't want to deal with Caroline Forbes right now. Listening to a whiney, gossiping, conceited teenage girl was not on Elena's to do list.

"Oh," Elena answered blandly, "I'm fine. It's been difficult, but that's the way these things usually go." Elena gave a small shrug of her shoulders, trying very hard to not let her emotions reach the surface. Breaking down in the middle of the Grill was not an appealing image for Elena. Wrapping her arms around her torso, her mind wandered off to Damon. Between the daydream and seeing him in the flesh, Elena felt she was going crazy. Her heart ached for him with a force stronger than Elena had ever experienced before. A new, awful, and deep rooted sadness came over her, and it took all her strength not to cry out. Elena needed to know what the history was with Damon; because a crush could never be this powerful of a feeling. She felt as if she had known Damon all of her life, and for even longer. Though it seemed impossible, she was slowly beginning to think it may not be.

"Hey um, guys," Elena said after pausing for a moment, "I'm sorry but I have to go." Quickly getting up from her seat, she turned to face her three friends and gave them a small nod. Elena noticed Bonnie shifting her weight as if about to get up. Elena gave her a look indicating that she wanted to be alone. Bonnie picked up on her friend's wishes, and gave her a small yet paranoid smile. Elena could always count on Bonnie to be too overprotective of her. Giving one last goodbye to Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie, she left the Grill. Wandering down the road, Elena felt more alone than ever. The pain of her parents now mixed with this new and equally torturous pain of Damon. It killed her and ate away at her that she didn't know the hell why she felt this intense pull towards the mysterious blue eyed god.

Eyeing a park bench a few yards away, Elena decided that would be the perfect place to attempt to figure at least some of this out. Shuffling over numbly to the wooden seat, she brushed a few fallen leaves from it. Taking her seat, she gazed up at the balding tree. Elena felt herself envious of the tree. It was free and alive, but didn't have to deal with the pains of feelings. All the tree had to be was a wonderful natural beauty who got to be a people watcher for hundreds of years. The only worries and strife the tree had to encounter was losing its leaves and the unforgiving winter. Elena sighed. Life wasn't at all in her favor. Gazing out into the road, Elena found herself entering another daydream.

"_You can't," Katherine pleaded, following Damon out the door. Damon stopped on the sidewalk, and icily turned to Katherine. _

"_I can, and I will."_

"_But why?" Katherine begged in return, almost to tears. Her heart was shattering into millions of pieces, with no hope of ever putting it back together fully. _

"_You didn't think I'd find out?" Damon asked bitterly. "About you and Stefan? You cheated on me with my _brother._ Do you know how humiliating and painful that is? I loved you more than anything, and you, you serpent, decided that fucking my brother was more important than my dedication to you." His brilliant eyes turned cold, and seemed to shoot bullets right into Katherine. She regretted it; she was contrite for everything she had done to Damon over the years. He was right; all he had ever done was love her, and she threw it right back in his face. In the four hundred years she had known the Salvatore brothers, she had been with Damon; but secretly admiring, and as of recent, seeing Stefan. Katherine hated herself for what she was doing to Damon. _

"_You're breaking my heart," she choked in return. She knew she was being weak, feeble, and completely naïve, but it was the only way her brain could think to respond. With Damon, logic had never been an option. Everything was spur of the moment passion that drove her love for the blue eyed beauty. With Stefan, it was all logic; all cold, calculating, and heartless. Looking Damon, she knew she had killed him with the evil sins she and Stefan had committed. _

"_Well, you deserve it, Katherine," Damon replied coldly. He hated to see them ending like this. After centuries of love and happiness, Katherine had failed him; cut him straight through the bone. Since the beginning, it had been him, Katherine, Stefan, and Elijah; and he stupidly hoped it would always be that way. But as Damon had figured out some time ago, life has a cruel way of tearing people from everything they know. He hated having to let Katherine go, but it was the only choice he had. Katherine Peirce had betrayed him. _

"_No," she squeaked, "please don't do this to me. I love you, Damon. You. Not Stefan, _you._" She darted her eyes back in forth, searching Damon for some sort of emotion. Any hint that there was still a love for her in the bottom of his heart. _

"_Your words mean nothing to me now, Katherine. You made your decision, and now I'm making mine." With one last icy stare, he walked away from his love, to taking a second look back. He couldn't be here in Mystic Falls anymore. Though it had been his home for roughly two hundred years, Damon needed out; Damon needed to return to his homeland of Italy. Turning left onto Mayfair Avenue, he walked to the train station, and away from his traitorous love, his heartless brother, and his best friend, Elijah. In that moment, he promised himself he would never see them again. _

When the daydream ended, Elena was left stunned. In the last dream, she could only experience it from a bystander's point of view. Now, after seeing Damon, she had opened a channel which allowed her to experience the daydreams as if she was truly them. She felt every wave of guilt, every whirlwind of pain. Elena now had a slightly better idea of why she felt such strong emotions about Damon: Katherine had had a very strong relationship with Damon, and she was quickly stripped of it. Sighing deeply, she felt a presence near her.

"Katherine," the voice said. It was partly a question, and partly a bitter greeting. Elena turned to see Damon hovering over her, his cerulean eyes peering deeply into hers. Her heart stopped, and she froze. How was she to respond?

* * *

Alright, so firstly, I want to apologize for me taking so long to update! For a while, my inspiration for this story was low (and it still kind of is) but I figured that this chapter would be a good way to set up the rest of the story, and hopefully spark some ideas. Just a reminder that this story is very AU, so nothing really follows the show or books. _Also, I began a new story called "Rudie Can't Fail", which if you like Gilmore Girls and/or Rory&Jess, I would really love for you to read it and review! _Again, sorry for the very long time it took me to update.

**Remember, reviews are love, people! ;)**


	4. IV

**IV**

He had spoken to her. The dark god of her dreams was tangibly in front of Elena, and had let his silky voice speak to _her. _As she stared, paralyzed with the awe she had for Damon, visionless memories blazed in her mind, hauntingly tempting her with feelings that didn't seem to belong to her. Elena's blood flowed with aching and forgotten love, and it made her body tingle and limp. Her eyes kept focus on the stunning creation before her. Damon's skin was marble perfection that even the hardest of blows could never tarnish. The cold rush of wind that suddenly whipped around her body brought Elena back to reality. He had called her Katherine; accusingly and harshly. She knew she had to reply, but what was she to say?

"Katherine?" Elena mumbled to no one in particular, "no." Damon gave her a look of annoyed confusion.

"Don't play dumb," he replied in dry bitterness. Once the blinding rage fell, Damon heard a heartbeat; coming from the woman in front of him. This wasn't possible. She could not be human. Something was not right. He stayed quiet for a moment. "You're not her," he then whispered.

"No," Elena replied, relieved to be free of Damon's accusations, "at least I don't think so." Elena ran a set of fingers through her hair. She felt oddly insecure and small next to the vampire.

"Who are you?" Damon asked. He was stunned at how civil he was being with this girl. Kindness towards humans was not Damon's specialty, and certainly not with ones who resembled Katherine Peirce. But there was something striking about the girl standing before him—she seemed forgiving and timeless.

"Elena Gilbert," she replied softly. She watched as Damon ran a hand through his hair, and slightly began to pace. It didn't seem to Elena that he had any intention of replying, so she spoke again.

"I—I don't know who Katherine even is." That was only partially true.

"Right," Damon replied faintly. "Look, I understand that you are a total third party in this matter, but that still doesn't change the fact that you look exactly like _her_." He stopped pacing, and Elena nodded. She wasn't sure if she should take his words as reassurance or as a threat.

"Wait, so you don't know why I look like her either?" Elena's heart fell. She was hoping there would be some logical and quick explanation.

"No," Damon shortly replied, "I don't. But whatever the reason—"

"We need to figure it out." Elena found herself uncharacteristically assertive. She felt mysteriously safe and comfortable with Damon, even though they had just officially met. These visions were really getting to her head.

Damon gave her a skeptical look before replying, "Yes, I do."

"I'm a part of this too," Elena replied. She crossed her arms to further propel her point.

"We do not even know each other." Damon echoed Elena's stance in a sort of mock.

"Damon, you know Katherine; right now, that's going to have to make do." Elena knew she shouldn't have let his name slip. Damn that dark and seducing name that danced off her tongue like honey.

"You know my name." Accusation bled from his words, flowing all the way to the pit of Elena's stomach.

"Yes," she muttered in response. She dropped her eyes from his, the adrenaline rush fading.

"How?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Memories. They're faint and sporadic, but they're there." Elena shrugged her shoulders, hoping she could keep the naïve and innocent act up. She was not about to reveal how much she knew.

"Hell, don't you think that would've been important to mention?" Damon uncrossed his arms, scratching his way through his hair. His world was spinning. _Katherine, what kind of mess did you get yourself into? _

"Okay, my bad. But Damon, we need to make friends fast—this situation isn't going to go away, and obviously it can't be ignored."

"Obviously," Damon deadpanned, kicking at the leaves around his feet harshly. A part of him wanted to just leave the situation alone. There was no threat, and he had lived decades without Katherine; he didn't need her or her doppelganger.

"Well it's settled then." Elena gave a nod of authority.

"Settled? Nothing is settled. We still know little about each other, and aren't even on the same page." Damon shook his head at the eager teenager.

"Then let's get to that page," Elena replied, and turned to walk further down the street. Damon looked side to side then sped up to her. Elena was shocked by his speed and the amount of wind Damon created.

"Where are you going?"

"The park; we can talk there." Elena continued on.

"I'm a fucking babysitter," Damon muttered to himself, then strode after Elena like a martyred parent.

* * *

"Okay, talk. What aren't you telling me?" Damon got straight to the point as he and Elena sat on the park bench. It felt surreal to be back in Mystic Falls with a spitting image of Katherine.

Elena sighed. "I told you I have memories. Well, more like daydreams, but whatever. They're just little snippets of Katherine's life I guess, and most of the ones I have include you—in fact some of them are just you. You're calling out to me, but you say Katherine. It's weird. They go away quickly, but each time they happen, I feel more and more connected to the visions."

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you know what it means?" Elena asked, reading Damon's movements.

"Not the slightest clue," Damon muttered tiredly in return. "What else?"

"There's this girl Marina Migleoretti that is in my history class this year—she thinks I'm Katherine too." Damon was shocked at how calmly Elena could say that.

"You've met Marina Migleoretti?" Damon searched Elena's eyes. _Shit. _

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Elena cocked her head in reply. She still couldn't believe it: since she had met Damon, thoughts of her parents hadn't crossed her mind.

"Marina was Katherine's right hand man. Merciless and vicious."

"You have to be joking; she seemed like the sweetest thing." Elena smiled at the thought of the gorgeous Marina.

"Lesson one in Let's Not Get Ourselves Killed 101: looks and first impressions are deceiving."

"Whatever you say," Elena grumbled in return. She liked the relationship she was already molding with Damon—it was different.

"Anything else?" Damon prompted once more, ignoring Elena's mutters. As he looked at Elena Gilbert, Damon couldn't keep his heart from melting. Even though she was far from Katherine, Elena held all of the qualities of Katherine that Damon loved. He was finding it quite difficult to distance himself from her; it was starting to feel like he was back at the beginning: falling for Katherine, and all of her loose and smiling qualities.

"No, that's basically all of my experiences in a nutshell. Your turn for show and tell." Elena wanted to nudge him with her shoulder, just to feel his body, and his flexing muscles. He was a dangerous treat Elena knew she could never have.

"It's too much to tell in the amount of daylight we have left," Damon replied solidly, even though his insides were liquid. Although there was a lot to tell, Damon just wasn't sure he could endure the whole story without breaking.

"That's not fair," Elena responded, sinking slightly in her seat.

"That's life, sweetheart," Damon replied. He cringed as _sweetheart _came out of his mouth, dripping and kind. The sweet and honeysuckle word was meant for Katherine—his faded and chipped image of the beauty. Elena laughed awkwardly in return to his comment.

"Well if you won't tell me now, when will you?" Elena hoped she would see Damon again. She knew she couldn't take the memories knowing that Damon was near but invisible.

"You'll find out my story over time… think of it as a periodical story," Damon gave the doppelganger a smirk.

"You're so stubborn," Elena complained, letting her head fall back slightly in annoyance.

"And you're not?" Damon raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We will meet again tomorrow. Be here at four. Hopefully by then I can figure some of this out." As he finished is sentence, Damon rose from his seat and turned to look at the expectant Elena. "Goodbye," he passed, "Elena Gilbert." The name felt foreign on his tongue, but he still allowed the words to flow melodiously.

"Bye," Elena replied lightly, giving Damon a small and weak wave as he turned and walked away from her. Elena breathed in shakily, left alone once more to her thoughts. Closing her eyes, she envisioned Damon's piercing cobalt eyes—what images those eyes must have seen in all of their years. Elena felt a whirlwind of images brewing in her chest, and she knew a vision was coming. Attempting to open her eyes before it appeared, she was too late.

* * *

_Katherine stood still. Vacant and cold in the doorway of the bar. Her twirling waves of brown locks reached flawlessly to her shoulder, a sapphire headband keeping her bangs held securely off of her forehead. The black dress that hit at her knees tickles her thighs, and she tugged at the material. Breathing in deeply, she stood taller and walked proudly into the bar. Katherine's façade would not last her long, she knew, yet she kept walking to the bartender. _

"_Martini; dry," Katherine drawled as she took a seat at the counter. The man nodded to her, disappearing from her immediate view. Katherine tapped her blood red nails against the white counter, as she waited for her drink. She could hear the man shuffling to the left of her, and the eventual placement of the drink by her hand. Katherine smiled at her old friend, and downed the alcohol without as much as a blink. _

"_Rough night?" The bartender asked casually, his brown eyes twinkling. _

"_You could say that," Katherine drawled. Her night wouldn't be nearly as rough as his once she sunk her teeth into him. The vampire gave her soon to be victim a dark smile, liking the lingering martini off of her lips._

* * *

Wow, I haven't updated this since… April. My god! I hope at least some of you guys are still interested in this story? So as for this chapter, it is far from what I wanted it to be—it's out of character from the way I wanted Damon and Elena, but hopefully it's still enjoyable. Next chapter and the ones to follow will certainly be longer and more down the path I want them to be. Be sure to give me your suggestions on plot, by the way!

_Be good and review! _


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